Cycling to the Dolomites problem

[GmanUK65]

On June 17th this year I travelled to the Dolomites by flying to Venice the catching trains then a bus and finally a taxi to my desination near La Villa in the Dolomites. What a nightmare! so much so I resorted to a taxi to venice from the Dolomites on 20th June so I did not miss my flight, costing me 300 euros.

I would like to go back next year but this time travelling via a different method and this time maybe with a few friends This method would be to cycle halfway to the Dolomites from Venice, hire an apartment for the night then cycle the rest of the way to La Villa and stay there a few days before riding back to Venice via the same route.

There is a problem though. Because I do not know which roads are bicycle friendly (by this I mean roads that bicycles are allowed on and roads that are excessively busy that could be dangerous on a bicycle}. Has anyone had any experience riding in Italy? What roads should I avoid (I've noticed some abbreviations on online road maps of Italy such as I think for example SP53)?

As I am not planning to do this until next June this is not a urgent matter but, the quicker I get this sorted, the better prepared I will be when the time comes.

Thank you

GmanUK65

 

[andym]

Hi

Have a look at my site:

http://italy-cycling-guide.info

There's information about routes through the Dolomites as well as the München-Venezia cycle route. There's also information about different types of road etc etc

I'd post links but I'm in a tent in a campsite posting using my iPod.

I'd suggest taking the train to Trento. Then the cycleway to Lavis. Then the SS612 to (IIRC) Molino di Fiemme, then the Ciclabile delle Dolomiti (Val di Fassa/Val di Fiemme) to Canazei and then via the Sella Ronda. Bish bash bosh really.

I have a funny feeling that the Cortina Xpress bus company do transfers out of Venezia. But I'll leave you to use Google to check.

 

[22camels]

Here is a route I did a couple of years back that might help

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QVG2A223LPvIa3xxOpL0wrzQF_4&usp=sharing

I think SS, SP and SR roads are all ok, avoid the A and E roads.

It's a matter of personal taste and depends on your expectations and experience, but I found the roads in that part of Italy to be quite safe and in good condition. The somewhat boring flat stretch between Conegliano and Venice got a bit busy when going through/around larger towns but not too bad in my view.

Edit: looking at the map more closely I am sure you can find a much quieter route between Treviso and the SR203 than the one I took - along the smaller SP roads to the west of my route on that section.

 

[andym]

I think SS, SP and SR roads are all ok, avoid the A and E roads.

That's a good general rule of thumb, but there are roads (other than autostrada) that are off-limits to bikes. These are roads that have been upgraded to superstradas (dual carriageways with higher speed-limits). They are usually strade statali, but they can be SP or SR roads as well. The tangenziali around the larger towns and cities are often off-limits to bikes. I would be very suspicious of anything that's marked on the map as a dual carriageway - it's worth buying a traditional 1:200,000 map because these show dual carriageways. Or you could use ViaMichelin.com.

Just to make things more complicated, both the Trentino and Südtirol have devolved responsibility for roads which means their rules are slightly different from the national rules.

More information and examples here:

http://italy-cycling-guide.info/planning-your-tour/routeplanning-which-roads/

North-East Italy has lots of excellent cycleways and cycle routes (eg the one between Cortina and Calalzo di Cadore that you used) these really are worth finding out about and using. The München-Venezia route would be another option for a route between Treviso and Cortina (south of Treviso the route follows the Sile river which is pretty but meandering).

 

[22camels]

Wow I hadn't realised the München-Venezia route is open now... that could be very nice!

 

[Brains]

Via Claudia Augusta ?
http://www.viaclaudia.org/en/travel-the-via-claudia/cycle-tour.html

and this book is the best one to buy for the route maps
http://www.esterbauer.com/db_detail.php?buecher_code=VCA

 

[andym]

Wow I hadn't realised the München-Venezia route is open now... that could be very nice!

I can vouch for it south from the Austria-Italy border. And it is indeed very nice. I'm assuming the rest of it is as well.

 

[andym]

Before anyone else spends time answering this question, the original poster posted this last Friday and then (according to the forum software) hasn't been back. Maybe there's another explanation but I'm guessing that he's not that bothered.